Savannah Guthrie hints at end of her time on 'Today' show after Hoda Kotb's exit

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Savannah Guthrie hinted at her likely exit from the 'Today' show after Hoda Kotb announced her departure after 17 years in the morning program.

Guthrie spoke about Koda's exit from the flagship show to US Weekly at the Project Healthy Minds' World Mental Health Day Gala on Thursday, October 10.

"We're dear friends and we have a lot of similarities," she said. "We're basically in the same phase of life," Guthrie added, alluding to her own tenure at the show coming to an end.

The morning show's viewers were shocked to learn the unexpected announcement from Kotb that she wanted to "try something new" after the nearly two-decade-long 'Today' stint.

Savannah Guthrie feels 'happy' for Hoda Kotb's decision to prioritize family

Savannah Guthrie noted that Hoda Kotb had been discussing leaving the show for years, and she recognized why her colleague had made the decision.

"We have these little kids that we both feel so lucky that we got to have later in life. It makes a lot of sense to me what she has decided," the co-anchor said. Though Kotb's exit was a "sad" moment, Guthrie admitted being friends, she was "happy."

She also expressed admiration for Kotb for stepping out into an uncertain yet exciting future. The 52-year-old added that the latter had faith in herself and deemed it an "incredible" quality.

Kotb spent nearly three decades at NBC News and began co-hosting 'Today' with Guthrie after the departure of Matt Lauer. The 60-year-old was also the host of 'Third Hour', first with Kathie Lee Gifford and later with Jenna Bush Hager.

Savannah Guthrie learned about Hoda Kotb's exit days before the announcement

Hoda Kotb made the surprise announcement on-air last month, noting her daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, motivated the decision. In a shoutout to the "cherished friendship" she earned over the years from 'Today,' Kotb said she would miss all her colleagues at the show.

Guthrie, however, learned about the decision days before her co-anchor made it public.

"It was the Monday before the world found out and she called me because I had had the day off and I was traveling. She called me and the first thing I said to her is, ‘I’m proud of you. I love you, you’re amazing. And it doesn’t matter where we sit, we’ll always be by each other’s side," she said to US Weekly.

Guthrie gushed about her partnership with Kotb, describing it as effortless. "It’s pretty easy to love Hoda and it’s easy to trust Hoda. She’s such an incredible journalist as well as being a ray of sunshine," she added.

Kotb would officially step down from the show in January 2025.

Following Kotb's exit, sources revealed that the 'Today' producers were trying their best to retain Guthrie on the show so as not to "overhaul everything" during the transition, according to Daily Mail.

Guthrie, whose contract was coming up for renewal next year, signed an undisclosed amount in 2020, an apparent raise from her initial agreement for $8 million a year.